Hi there

Since I last posted I have been in hospital for a short stay.

I woke up one morning and couldn't stand at all on my right leg, couldn't even hop using walking sticks.

I ended up in A&E and then was admitted for 4 days, and was discharged due to lack of bed space (the ceiling had collapsed taking out about 60 beds, and they had an influx of elderly patients with breathing problems due to the weather turning colder).

They've said I don't have classic stocking neuropathy as I'm not the same on both legs. The burning, shooting, stabbing and electrical pains are the same, but I've developed a medium weakness in my right leg only, tend to have cramps only in that leg and have developed a 'cramp-plus' pain as I call it in that leg. The 'cramp plus' pain starts out like a normal cramp, and then seems to go inwards and it feels like it goes deep, twists, grabs and then rips inside my calf.

The good thing that's come out of my stay is that I'm now in a lot less pain overall. They've put me on 1000mg paracetamol, 60mg dihydrocodiene, 50mg diclofenac with 10mg oramorph for any breakthrough pain.

They also checked out my spine and found out I have a small lump on it, which they thought was a prollapsed disc trapping a nerve - however, it turned out not to be the case.

They have now said its definitely neuropathic pain but are now unsure of the diagnosis, but believe the original peripheral neurophathy diagnosis to be wrong due to the right side getting so much worse than the left. I have also started to get pins and needles and numbess in my right arm, and on one occasion found that I couldn't move my right leg (it was almost comical - my husband pushed my right foot forward with his foot, then I moved my left, then he moved my right and so on for about 4-5 times... then the right leg started working - I had this vision in my mind of being alone and this happening and ending up just walking around in circles!!!)

Oh well... waiting again. I've spoken to the neurologist's office and they are taking appointments currently for March/April 2009... the hospital marked the appointment urgent, but we'll have to see if the neurologist agrees. If not I'll go privately and hopefully may get seen before Christmas.

Good luck to everyone else out there with the puzzling, frustrating and painful neurological nuisances - I sincerely hope we all end up on the top sticky note that 'neurophathy can improve'.

Very best

Sue